Screen Printing Tools
Choose mesh for your artwork and ink
Read artwork and ink together
Put the original artwork and the ink maker’s mesh guidance next to each other. The artwork shows whether the screen needs to hold fine lines and small gaps. The ink guide tells you the mesh range for that formulation. Count is only comparable when both listings use the same units, such as threads per inch.
Compare open and fine mesh
For a bold one-color image using ink that needs more deposit, an open 110 mesh is one place to start. For small letters and thinner compatible ink, compare a higher count such as 230. Check the actual image on a proof. A finer mesh can make the deposit too light for a thick ink even when the stencil itself holds the detail. Separate screens can make sense when different layers in the same design have different ink and detail requirements.
Keep mesh units consistent
If one product states threads per inch and the other gives threads per centimeter, put them in the same units before comparing. A 230-per-inch mesh is approximately 91 threads per centimeter. Count is independent of the frame opening.